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PhoneFactor Delivers iOS Application For Authentication

Review Date: December, 7

Mobile

PhoneFactor is a system of authentication which makes use of mobile phones as a secondary factor for the purpose of improved security and has now made available as an application for Apple’s mobile product line, iPhone and iPad.

When the users tend to log in to an enterprise application or they undertake any of the online transaction onto thier PC’s, the application of PhoneFactor requires them to respond to a prompt which is deliverd to their cell phone. Moreover, the authentication system has already been made available with the feature of text messages and voice calls so as to make it prompt, and now it has been made to be used as a native application on the mobile phones. The app version for both the iOS 4 as well as for iOS 5 has been made available now, and as far as Android is concerned, its related version is expected quite soon, according to the officials of the company.

This system has been specially designed to replace a traditional two-factor authentication system, which is inclusive of the SecurID hardware tokens that were sold by RSA, and has the function of displaying a one-time password for all its users so as to gain entry within the PC. Since, the users can make use of their mobile phones in place of a dedicated device- this has made the system of PhoneFactor less expensive and a lot easier to deploy as well as to manage, as per the statement of the vice president of marketing and product management of PhoneFactor. A software license of PhoneFactor authentication system has been tagged to cost enterprises ranging from $10 and $25 for every single user, per year. Moreover, the iOS application associated with it to use is offered free of cost.

As it has been demonstrated by the company in a video, when any user types in the password so as to make an online transaction on thier PC, the application of PhoneFactor pops up a notification box onto the iPad or iPhone of that particular person. That person is then required to tap on the authentication button located within that box so as to finalize the process of logging-in.

This logging-in process makes at least two factors essential to in order to authenticate a user: The user name and passcode requested onto the system, and the phone of the user having the working program. As an administrator, the user can set up another layer of fool proof security by making the user to type in a PIN (personal identification number) code within the notification box before he/she is made able to hit the authentication button.

If any unauthorized user tries to complete the login process on the system, the iOS application has the ability to deliver a notification to the legitimate user as well as to the IT department. Such steps are taken so as to provide security to the user’s account.

The authentication system has also been formulated to synchronize with LDAP and Active Directory servers so as to ease user management and enrollment factors. Moreover, it can also conduct audits and deliver reports related to the activity on each user account.